Everything is tainted with this obnoxious "island" way of doing things that I am so forking sick of.

fork yes, I do not miss that at all about the islands. Sometimes you have to just be the crasshole of the island, and refuse to try to make everybody happy and instead just do what is best for buhbah (i.e. being loved by you). This lady has no claim to Buhbah at all.

_________________"I'm in your vagina, lurkin on your garlics!" - paprikapapaya"My vagina won't even come to the table because she's out fighting crime under the name The Pink Boom." - idatetattooedguys

What exactly do you fear they'll do to you when you take him? They'd probably stupidly admit that they "let" you keep him with you for almost a year if it ever went to court or anything. I'd call whatever animal protection agency is local and see what they say.

Vijita, why don't you microchip him? Then it's on the record that you are his owner.

I guess that's a good idea. We were just trying to keep this as amicable as possibly. I mean, we did kind of steal him initially! But then we took care of him for months and months, and the dude next door gave him to us (but his partner didn't), so I assumed the neighbours weren't going to make a peep. I wasn't going to tell them we were moving, but my landlord did that for some reason.

I dunno, the people in this neighbourhood are so weird. I feel like we'll move (and we're moving to a different island, and no one will have our address), and we'll take Buhbah, but no one will even "remember" that Buhbah existed, even though it's projected as an issue right now. But I can't be sure, so I'm stressed.

Thanks for listening to the Buhbah drama. I'm so not willing to let him go. I wish he could choose. I know he's choose his box/carrots/bunny/plush mouse/taller one and shorter one (my boyfriend and I). We're not moving immediately, so I'll continue to work on this.

You are being way too nice to these crazy people. Get yourself into Rambo-Cat-Mom mode immediately and lay all the groundwork for proving you're Buhbah's family: microchip immediately, get those vet records in order, etc...Irresponsible dopey cat-neglecters do not deserve your consideration and peace-keeping. Remember, you did not steal this cat. The cat chose you. You told the neighbor the cat was with you. They forked up, not you.

Along with the vet bills, food, litter etc add 'cat sitting x 6 months' to the expenses. Say you kept trying to return him but they weren't home and if they were really his family then technically they neglected him

Why do the suddenly want him now? They couldn't be bothered to look after him for all of this time, YOU took him to the vets, YOU fed him when they couldn't be bothered and they let YOU take him for all this time.

fork them. Take Buhbah and GTFO, they don't deserve such a beautiful cat.

I would just agree to hand him over just before you are moving, and then suddenly, he runs off (staying at a friends house until you are gone). You searching the neighbourhood with flashlights while calling his name might be a good idea too.

If you are going to steal him away then you should take him somewhere else the day before you pack up in case they go mad and try to search the truck/car whatever you use to move with to check you aren't stealing the cat. I would totally take him if I was you.

Another vote for just taking him. And microchipping him. They clearly abandoned Bubbah to his fate and he was really lucky that his fate included you!

I'm not sure how the legality of ownership works in BC, but I know that in some areas a person can be held liable for animal cruelty/neglect for an animal on their property that they are not caring for, even if it's not registered in their name. If they house/feed the animal for more than a week, they are considered legally responsible for that animal. I suspect, then that the converse is true. If you can show that you've been not only housing and feeding but basically loving and treating this cat as your own, while the original "caretakers" haven't even bothered to ask about his welfare, it may be that you are now actually considered that cat's owner by law. I'd give animal protection a call and find out what the laws are there. You might have a stronger case legally than you think. But even if you don't, I'm still in the "he's yours and you're his so just take him" camp!

_________________I ate the shiitake out of inappropriateness. - Hollie

+1 on taking him on a secret trip before the moving truck shows up and they want you to hand him over. Just act all upset and everything when they ask where he is, since you don't know what happened to him (wink).

I don't know if anyone is serious, but it obviously isn't going to work to say Buhbah ran away right before the night or week you move. I personally think if the guy gave you the cat and you have the cat and are moving with the cat, the cat comes with you. In the rest of the world that is just not negotiable. I know it is stressful and island weird, but they don't get to claim Buhbah back now that you're moving.

_________________Panda With Cookie If I get caught as a fugitive eating chain pizza, its going to be Pizza Hut. -linanilanil

Yeah, we won't be doing anything secretive. We are going to take Buhbah, because he lives with us. Even though they live next door, they are never ever home, so I doubt they'll be around when we're leaving. I just hope we can do an inspection with our landlord the day before we leave so she doesn't say anything about it. I don't really want to chip him until we reach our destination. I think everyone in the neighbourhood knows that he's coming with us.

But Jay and I are going to talk to them next week, so we'll see how that goes.

You take your Buhbah and skedaddle! Sailing the high-seas in a cardboard box with one catnip carrot. Would Bhubs have a carrot named after him if he had stayed with those bampots? I think not. Proof enough of buddy status, I think. Venger will come man the outposts in his Battle-Cat attire if need be.

_________________"I will take a drugged, sex-crazed, punk rock commie over Mrs. Thatch any day of the week" - Vantine

He is yours.I don't have anything useful to add, but I've been following this thread since the beginning and he is yours now. Or you are his. I expect to see photos of Buhbah settling into his new home after you move.

_________________An unprocessed chicken is walking around and clucking to itself. And yes, I think they're healthier that way too. - Tofulish